Embroidery is the art of creating a picture, pattern or other visually pleasing image on a base fabric by stitching a pattern onto the base fabric. Typically, the base fabric is stretched taut using a frame and colored threads are passed through the base fabric using a needle. For smaller works, typically a small personal fabric mount is used to stretch the base fabric, such as a hoop frame. For larger designs, a scroll frame may be used.
Small personal fabric mounts typically hold the fabric by way of friction generated between two components of the frame or mounting system. For example, a commonly used needlepoint frame is the embroidery hoop frame, which consists of a continuous circular, inner, piece of smooth plastic or wood, and a smooth outer circular piece having an expansion joint and tensioning means. The fabric is draped over the inner piece, the outer piece is then pulled down over the fabric and tightened to form two concentric circles with the fabric friction fit between them. While these hoop frames and other friction based mounting systems are commonly used, they suffer from a number of disadvantages, for example, it is difficult or impossible to tightly and uniformly tension the fabric.
Another needlepoint frame is sold under the name “Round-About Punch Needle Frame,” and comprises a rectangular wooden frame with four carding strips around each side of the frame, commonly referred to as “a gripper frame”. U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,804 describes a rug hooking frame, or gripper frame, with four fabric retaining bars positioned at right angles to one another where each fabric retaining bar has a card clothing holder secured to the upper surface. While gripper frames (i.e., frames employing carding strips) allow the fabric to be pulled taut, the hooks or pins of the carding strips tend to protrude through the base fabric, particularly in work where the base fabric is thin.
Other gripper frames used for rug hooking include, the Puritant, the Pittsburgh Crafting Frame and the Kerr Adjustable-Tilt Frame, as well as frames made by Appleton Krafts and Supplies, Spruce Top Rug Hooking Studios and Anderson Handcrafted Products.
Each of the above gripper frames is made from wood, masonite, metal or other heavy materials and the pins on the gripper or carding strips are exposed during use and storage. Furthermore, the above gripper frames do not provide a means of holding the base fabric onto the hooks or pins during use of the frame. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a light weight, portable and easy to use frame that also protects the user from the pins on the gripper or carding strips.